This invention relates to a device for the removal or pick-up and retention of foreign particles from diverse particle-collecting surfaces.
In the field of athletics, in order for an athlete to effectively achieve his best performance levels, attention must be completely focused on what the athlete is trying to accomplish. Oftentimes, an athlete is unable to achieve his or her top performance level because of factors beyond his control such as, for example, an injury of one kind or another. There are other factors, however, which hamper the training routine and performance level of an athlete but which are readily controllable to thereby permit the athlete to achieve his top performance level. Examples of such performance detracting factors are moisture, dirt or dust particles collecting on a particular training or playing surface, or resulting from considerable training or performance activity thereon.
In the game of basketball, for instance, it is desirable that the players have the ability to safely utilize their best footwork abilities in order to thereby train effectively and achieve their top performance levels without subjecting themselves to the chance of injury. Various tread designs on the soles of sneakers or athletic footwear worn by athletes primarily allow a player to train or perform with the proper footwork necessary to accomplish his desired performance levels. However, the types of playing surfaces upon which an athlete trains or performs, such as wood, synthetic or linoleum, are also an important factor in determining whether an athlete will train or perform with the proper or his best footwork.
In the past, when moisture, dust or dirt particles have been present on these playing surfaces, an athlete's training or playing ability was then hampered because of the pick-up of these particles by, and their collection on the soles of the athlete's footwear, which then prevented them from obtaining the maximum traction necessary for them to achieve their highest level of footwork. One method commonly used theretofore to remove such foreign particles from the soles of the player's footwear involved the moistening of the player's hands with saliva or water and then manually rubbing the soles of the shoes with the moistened hands. However, this procedure ordinarily would lead to the athlete being unable to then use his hands for training or playing because of the resultant foreign particles present thereon. Another method heretofore often used by athletes to remove the foreign particles from the soles of his footwear has been to rub the soles of the footwear on the socks worn on the opposite leg of the player. However, this procedure has the drawback that, because it puts a strain upon the player's leg joints due to the player being in an unnatural or unbalanced position, this particular procedure might lead to the possibility of the player falling and sustaining injury.
Aside from the above two factors, it should also be kept in mind that the playing surfaces upon which an athlete trains or performs often are used for a variety of purposes other than merely athletic purposes. Thus, in various schools, the gymnasium also serves as the cafeteria and assembly room. When used in such a wide variety of ways, the floors of these multi-purpose rooms do not create the desired resultant friction and foot traction ordinarily produced with the particular athletic footwear worn by the athlete when free of moisture, dust and dirt particles that are often present on such floor surfaces and picked up on the players footwear. Furthermore, when an athlete is training or performing on a hard court playing surface, the resultant perspiration of the player most often ends up on the floor surface. As of the present, there are no devices available for quickly removing these foreign particles or substances that may be present on a playing surface when an athlete is training or performing thereon.